Apparatus and techniques for electronic device encapsulation

Abstract

Apparatus and techniques for use in manufacturing a light emitting device, such as an organic light emitting diode (OLED) device can include using one or more modules having a controlled environment. The controlled environment can be maintained at a pressure at about atmospheric pressure or above atmospheric pressure. The modules can be arranged to provide various processing regions and to facilitate printing or otherwise depositing one or more patterned organic layers of an OLED device, such as an organic encapsulation layer (OEL) of an OLED device. In an example, uniform support for a substrate can be provided at least in part using a gas cushion, such as during one or more of a printing, holding, or curing operation comprising an OEL fabrication process. In another example, uniform support for the substrate can be provided using a distributed vacuum region, such as provided by a porous medium.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for providing a substrate coating, comprising:
 transferring a substrate to an enclosed ink jet printing system, wherein the enclosed ink jet printing system is configured to deposit a patterned organic material in a deposition region over at least a portion of an active region of a light-emitting device fabricated upon the substrate; 
 printing organic material over the deposition region of the substrate using the enclosed printing system; 
 transferring the substrate with the patterned organic material deposited thereon to an enclosed curing module, wherein the enclosed curing module is configured to provide an ultraviolet treatment to treat the organic material deposited on the substrate to form a solid organic film layer; 
 supporting the substrate in the enclosed curing module using a pressurized gas cushion distributed between the substrate and a substrate support apparatus, the pressurized gas cushion being sufficient to float the substrate above the substrate support apparatus; and 
 treating the organic material deposited on the substrate with an ultraviolet treatment using the enclosed curing module to form an organic film layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after transferring the substrate into an enclosed ink jet printing system:
 supporting the substrate in the enclosed printing system using a first pressurized gas cushion distributed between the substrate and a first substrate support apparatus to float the substrate above the first substrate support apparatus; 
 wherein supporting the substrate in the enclosed curing module comprises using a second pressurized gas cushion distributed between the substrate and a second substrate support apparatus to float the substrate above the second substrate support apparatus. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein supporting the substrate using at least one of the first distributed pressurized gas cushion and the second distributed pressurized gas cushion suppresses mura on the formed organic film layer. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein supporting the substrate in at least one of the enclosed printing system and the enclosed curing module comprises forcing gas through a porous ceramic material to distribute the pressurized gas cushion used to float the substrate. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , comprising establishing at least one of the first distributed pressurized gas cushion and the second distributed pressurized gas cushion using a non-reactive pressurized gas. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , comprising establishing at least one of the first distributed pressurized gas cushion and the second distributed pressurized gas cushion using a combination of a pressurized non-reactive gas region and at least a partial vacuum region. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 2 , wherein supporting the substrate in at least one of the enclosed printing system and the enclosed curing module additionally comprises physically contacting the substrate with a support structure. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein physically contacting the substrate with the support structure is in an area corresponding to a region outside of the active region of the light-emitting device fabricated upon the substrate. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the support structure comprises at least one lift pin. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising while supporting the substrate in the enclosed curing module, retaining the substrate at a periphery of the substrate to restrict lateral translation of the substrate while supporting the substrate by the pressurized gas cushion. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising holding the substrate in the enclosed curing module for a specified duration before treating the organic material on the substrate. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after printing organic material over the deposition region of the substrate:
 transferring the substrate with the patterned organic material deposited thereon from the enclosed inkjet printing system to an enclosed holding module; and 
 holding the substrate for a specified duration in the enclosed holding module; 
 wherein the transferring of the substrate with the patterned organic material deposited thereon to the enclosed curing module comprises transferring the substrate with the patterned organic material thereon from the holding module to the enclosed curing module. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, after transferring the substrate to the enclosed holding module:
 supporting the substrate in the enclosed holding module using a first pressurized gas cushion distributed between the substrate and a first substrate support apparatus to float the substrate above the first substrate support apparatus; 
 wherein supporting the substrate in the enclosed curing module comprises using a second pressurized gas cushion distributed between the substrate and a second substrate support apparatus to float the substrate above the second substrate support apparatus. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a controlled processing environment for each of the enclosed printing system and the enclosed curing module. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the controlled processing environments are maintained below specified limits of reactive gaseous species. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the reactive gaseous species are water vapor, ozone, and oxygen that are maintained below 100 parts-per-million for each species. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the controlled processing environments are maintained below specified limits of particulate contamination level. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the particulate contamination level is controlled at least in part using multiple fan filter units located along or nearby a path traversed by the substrate. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the controlled processing environments are gas environments at or near atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the controlled gas environment is a non-reactive gas environment. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the non-reactive gas environment is maintained using nitrogen.